This educational film “Stores in Our Community” dates to 1954 and shows images of stores in Illinois, probably either Park City or another Chicago suburb. It demonstrates the pattern most cities follow as far as grocery stores, how commodities such as milk and flour are delivered into the community. The film was distributed by the State of Georgia Department of Education Film Libraries (:17). It is a Coronet Film (:36). Vehicles run down a city’s main drag (1:01). The first store in the community highlighted is called “Three Sister’s Store” — a popular women’s clothing store chain (1:11). The exterior and the interior of the department store are captured (1:31). In the furniture section of the department store, lamp shades are zoomed in on (1:38). The camera turns to the shoe department (1:51). A family called the Johnson family enters the department store known as Wieboldts (1:57). They head directly to the shoe department (2:07). The store clerk checks the back storage area for more supplies of the product (2:55). The film turns to a shoe factory; J.P Smith Shoe Company, where the products are originally made at (3:04). (Note: The J. P. Smith Shoe Company Plant still exists at the corner of North Sangamon Avenue and West Huron Street in the West Town neighborhood of Chicago. ) Freshly made shoes are packed into boxes for store delivery (3:36). The shoe delivery truck is noted (3:47). Automobiles are also sent by way of truck from an automobile factory (3:55). A milk delivery truck takes milk to city residents from the dairy farm (4:00). A freight train delivers goods to stores (4:06). Children try on sneakers within the department store (4:42). The shoe clerk entertains the youth by bringing them yellow balloons (5:11). The Johnson family breaks apart as they continue shopping and the children head to the bakery (5:55). The baker heads from the front counter to the baking area. Here he scoops flour delivered from the flour mill to the bakery (6:04). He also pulls out eggs and other dairy products delivered by way of truck from the dairy farm (6:25). A large oven is seen utilized for baking breads (6:34). Pie sheets are pulled from the oven (6:38). The bakers mix cherries for a pie filling (6:56). The Johnson youth order loaves of bread from behind the counter (7:38). From the bakery, they head to the hardware store to meet their parents (8:13). The parents purchase a hammer and nails (8:35) from the hardware store to be used to build their own mock up store at home (9:42).

Wieboldt Stores, Inc., also known as Wieboldt’s, did business as a Chicago general retailer between 1883 and 1987. It was founded in 1883 by storekeeper William A. Wieboldt. The flagship location was at One North State Street Store in Chicago.

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